Combined aftercooler and receiver



Dec.'26, 1944. w. H. wlNEMAN 2,365,791

Y COMBINED AFTERCOOLER AND RECEIVER Filed oct. 1e, 1941 32 27 38 Y 37 Eli- 43 29 3b @mgm /w' i.. 0, 7' mvlll. 42

Lw/Mm Mdeff Wingman.

Patented Dee 2c, 1944 COMBINED AF'rERoooLER AND RECEIVER wade n. wineman, Michigan city, Ina., signor to Sullivan Machinery Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Application October 16, 1941, Serial No. 415,334

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a combinationV of an aftercooler and a receiver, and more particularly to a receiver having incorporated therein a cooling device through which compressed fluid passes into the receiver where the iluid is dried and then reheated before it is discharged toa point of use.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved device for treating and storing compressed fluid. Another object is to provide improved means for removing liquid from a compressed fluid and then heating the fluid beforeit is discharged to a point of use'. Still another object is to provide improved means for treating a compressed fluid, said means .ncluding an improved receiver having incorporated therein an improved cooling device through which the compressedV fluid passes into the receiver where liquid is removed from the uid, and the uid is then directed about the cooling device so thatA it ab- 'sorbs heat from the incoming iluidvbefore it is discharged to a. point of use. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing in lwhich for purposes of illustration one embodiment of the invention is shown.

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section, with parts shown in elevation, through the improved aftercooler-receiver.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line, 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing it will be noted that the improved aftercooler-receiver, generally designated I, comprises a receiver 2 having incorpo'rated therein an improved cooling device 3.

The receiver 21s shown herein as a cylindrical shaped tank having, at its upper end,` an opening 5 which is closed by a cover plate 6 secured to the receiver as by bolts 1 extending into a ilange l formed on. the receiver surrounding the opening 5. The receiver is supported by an L-shaped ange I 0 secured to its lower end as its: length, is arranged. The lower end of the inner casing I5 ln the illustrative construction shown terminates a bit short of the outer casing I4 and is closed by an end wall 2|. Opening through the end wall 2| is a passage 22 communicating with a passage 23 formed in an element 24 which is secured, as by welding, to the lower surface of the wall 2I. The lower end'of the coiled conduit I8 is connected in any suitable manner to and opens into theinterior of the element 24 and communicates with the passage 23. The cover plate 5 has an opening 26 in com munication with the space within the casing I5, and herein shown threaded into this opening is a conduit 2-1 for conducting a cooling liquid into the casing. The upper end of the coiled conduit I8 is connected in communication with a passage 29 in an element 30 `which extends through an opening 3| in the cover plate 6 and is suitably connected to a discharge conduit 32.

, Extending axially through the casing I5 and through the port 22 in the end wall 2I is a rod 34 having its lower end threaded into an opening 35 in the element 24. The upper end of the rod extends through an openingv 36 in the cover plate and has a head portion 31 which may be engaged by a wrench for turning the rod and opening the port 35 sothat cooling liquid may be drained from the casing I5 and from the coiled conduit I8 if desired. To prevent cooling liquid from y continuing to flow into the casing I5 when the by welding, and opening into the lower end of the receiver is a drain pipe II having a manually controlled valve I2 which may be opened for draining liquid from the receiver when necessary.

The improved cooling device 3 comprises concentric cylindrical shaped casings I4 and I5 secured to the cover plate 5 as by welding, and extending through the opening 5 axially into the receiver. The casings I4 and I5 are formed to provide between them an annular space I6 within which a coiled conduit I8, having nuport 35 is open, there will, of course, be provided suitable valve means in the supply conduit 21. Surrounding the head portion 31 of the rod 34 is a cap 38 which is suitably secured to the cover plate 5 for preventing an escape of cooling liquid' through the opening 36. v

A portion of the casing I5 at the upper en`d of the latter is bent, asat 40, to provide an enlarged space 4I between the casings I4 and I5, and a relatively large opening 42 in the cover plate 6 leads into the space 4I- for delivering compressed fluid from a conduit 43 to the space 4I and to the space between the casings I4 and I5 surrounding the coiled conduit I8.

Arranged in the receiver between the casing I4 and the walls of the receiver is a baille plate 45. This baille plate is located in the upper portion of the receiver and is so formed 'as to provide an opening 46 through which fluid may pass between the ends of the receiver at one side of the latter. The baille plate is shown as being welded to the walls of the receiver, and between the baffle plate merous. closely spaced radiating disks I9 along 55 and the casing I4 is a slight clearance 48 so that the cooling device may be removed from the receiver if desired.

Opening through the walls of the receiver, at the side of the latter opposi the opening 46 and just above the baille plate, is a port 5U communicating with a discharge conduit 5I.

From the foregoing description the mode of operation of this device will be readily apparent. A cooling liquid, such as Water, is delivered through the conduit 2I to the space within the casing I5 and is then conducted through the port 22 in the bottom of the casing and the passage 23 to the coiled conduit I8, through which it flows to the discharge conduit 32. Compressed fluid,

such as air, is delivered from a source, as from a compressor, through the conduit 43 to the space 4I at the top of the cooling device 3. The compressed air at this time is at a high temperature and is relatively heavily laden with moisture and with particles of oil. The compressed fluid passes through the annular space between the casings I4 and I5, over the radiating disks and the coiled conduit I8, and the inner side of the annular stream also moves in contact with the relatively cold wall I5 of the chamber into which the cooling water first flows, and is rapidly cooled as it approaches the lower end of the receiver. By the time the fluid is discharged from the lower end of the cooling device into the receiver, the moisture and any oil vapors are largely condensed, and the condensed moisture and oil settles out and to the bottom of the receiver in the relatively large chamber in the bottom of the receiver where the air velocity ls much reduced. The dry and considerably cooled air then passes upwardly between the wall I4, surrounding the cooling device, and the walls of the receiver, and flows through the opening 46 into the upper portion of the receiver where it then passes in both directions around the casing I4 to the discharge conduit 5I. It will be noted that the upper portion of the casing I4 will be at a temperature much nearer to that of the incoming compressed fluid than the temperature of the air as it is discharged into the lower end of the receiver, and so the dry air, as it flows over the casing on its way to the discharge conduit, will be re-heated and made capable of doing a maximum amount of work. f

As a result of this invention it will be evident that there has been provided a very compact unit for effecting a treatment of compressed fluid and for storing the fluid for use. It will further be noted that by reason of the cooling device extending into the receiver, there is obtained a cooling of the compressed fluid for eiecting a condensation of moisture, a separation of the moisture when the fluid is discharged into the receiver, as well as a considerable separation upon the disks of the cooling liquid conduit, and a reheating of the moisture-free fluid as it is directed through the upper portion of the receiver and to a point of use. The construction disclosed reduces the cost below that of the apparatus which would otherwise be required for the multiple functions performed. It reduces the space occupied. There is no need for a relatively heavy-shelled aftercooler. A relatively high ve- 'locity of air discharge from the aftercooler unit promotes the separation of the oil and water from the air. The air leaving the receiver and passing to a point of use contains more energy than if all of the heat subtracted by the aftercooler were thrown away. Accordingly not only is a most eflicient drying and freeing from oil effected, but the air is restored to substantially ambient temperature before it leaves the receiverl. Other advantages of the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this specification specifically described one form which the invention may as.

sume in practice, it will be understood that this form ofthe same is shown for purposes ol illus tration, and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Y Letters Patent is:

In a device of the character described, in combination, a. cylindrical shaped q fluid-receiving tank having an opening at its upper end, a fluid cooling device extending through said opening axially into said tank, said/cooling device including concentric cylindrical casings providing an annular space therebetween, a coiled conduit arranged within said annular space for conducting a cooling liquid, means for delivering cooling 40 liquid to the space within the inner one of said concentric casings, fluid conducting means for connecting the space within said inner casing to the lower end of said coiled conduit, means for discharging a moisture containing fluidv under pressure through lsaid annular space over said coiled conduit and into the lower portion of said tank, a baille plate extending between the walls of said tank and the outer one of said concentric casings for directing fluid from the bottom to the upper portion of said tank along one side of the latter, means for discharging fluid from the opposite side of said'tank and at the upper side ol said baille plate, manually controlled means for at will draining *cooling liquid from said coiled conduit and said inner casing into the lower end of said tank, and means for draining said cooling liquid and liquid separated from said pressure fluid from the bottom of said tank,

WADE H. WINEMAN. 

